


Playing With Fire

by k_howard_is_here



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Anne is a rebellious gremlin, F/M, Falling In Love, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22231657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/k_howard_is_here/pseuds/k_howard_is_here
Summary: Anne was always one for spontaneity. She loved the thrill of taking risks. So when she meets Luke, she jumps at the chance of adventure, a taste of rebellion. But is it just one step too far?
Comments: 13
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> No major warnings for this chapter. There is a brief use of swearing.

Anne didn’t hear it the first time. The second time made her jump in fright.

Her room was pitch black: it was late, way past 1am. All of the other Queens – with the exception of Cathy – would undoubtedly be fast asleep by now. But Cathy rarely left the confines of her bedroom at night, apart from sneaking downstairs to get yet another re-fill of coffee.

The chink of another pebble hitting her window startled her again. She crept over to her window and peeked out, unable to supress a grin when she saw who the culprit was.

Luke was staring up at her window expectantly, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jeans. She held up a finger to signal she’d just be a moment before she quickly threw a hoodie over her pyjama top and slipped on her trainers. Without a second thought, Anne carefully opened the window and slipped out onto the roof. She turned to close the window – the draught would be sure to wake Jane – and she skipped along the tiles, sliding down the drainpipe and jumping down to the ground with ease.

Without a word, she took Luke’s hand as they ran off down the lane.

* * *

The first thing Anne noticed was his eyes. They were a mysterious blue-green in colour: not quite one or the other, and they were kind and sincere.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” he apologised, looking helplessly at the drink pooling at their feet and the smashed glass. “Here, let me get you another round.”

Anne was so consumed in his facial features that she didn’t understand what he was talking about. She shook her head, then looked to the floor, realising that the drinks in her hand had fallen. Before she could speak, he had turned around to the bar.

“It’s okay, really. It was just an accident,” she insisted, pushing through the crowd to join his side.

The boy turned to face her, a tray laden with drinks in one hand, flashing a charming pearly white smile. “No problem! It was my clumsiness after all!”

“Oh, I know all about that!” Anne chuckled. “I’m the biggest klutz going!”

At that, the boy gave a light-hearted laugh that made Anne’s heart flutter. “You say that as if it’s a bad thing. It keeps things interesting.”

Anne led him to the table where the rest of the Queens were sitting, in the midst of a full-blown conversation.

“Alright, ladies, so who’s got the vodka and lemonade?”

Anne watched on in awe as he strode up to the table with so much conviction, announcing their drinks and serving them with a flourish. Kitty, Cathy and Jane gave a girly giggle as he left, Anna scrutinising his every move with a critical frown as he flashed them a cheeky wink as he went. He really was quite handsome. He was dressed casually in a plain white T-shirt with a blue denim shirt over the top, dark trousers and black trainers, his short blonde hair slicked back with some gel. He had an air of confidence about him that Anne thought was attractive. Anne suddenly realised she was still leaning against the pillar, staring at him like a complete idiot.

“Thank you,” she managed to smile as he passed her, blushing.

“Don’t mention it. I’m sorry again for bumping into you,” There was that smile again, as he waved his hand dismissively. ‘I’m Luke, by the way.”

“I’m…uh, Anne.”

Why was it so difficult to even say her name? Her mouth was so dry…

“Well, catch you later, Anne. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

With that, he wandered off and disappeared into the crowd. Anne stared after him, mouth agape. Did that really just happen?

“Oi, Anne!” Anna’s cry from the table broke her out of her trance. “Quit gawking after Prince Charming and come and help shuffle these cards!”

* * *

Anne looked for Luke at the bar the following weekend, but was disappointed when he didn’t appear. Maybe he wasn’t a regular? Maybe he wasn’t even from here? She sat with the rest of the Queens contemplating. All week she had been secretly counting down to the weekend in the hopes of bumping into him. What if she never saw him again?

She had no idea what had come over her that night he’d nudged her and knocked the drinks out of her hands. She’d just felt…a spark. A little flicker of excitement. There was just something about him that made her want to get to know him. He just seemed so cool, so relaxed. One of the boys that everyone was drawn to in a busy room. And that smile. It was enough to make Anne melt.

After a couple of weeks had passed without any sightings at the bar, Anne couldn’t help but admit she was disheartened. She guessed it was just a chance meeting and that was that. She needed to move on and forget him.

Then, one night as she left stage door after another performance, a familiar voice called out to her and make her heart skip a beat.

“Well, you kept that one quiet!”

She spun around and there he was, leaning casually up against the wall, a huge grin on his face. She couldn’t help but gasp in delight.

“You came to see the show?”

Luke moved toward her, hands thrust into his jean pockets. “Of course! Curiosity got the better of me. I’ve been hoping to see you again.”

Anne laughed. “What did you think?”

“Well, I certainly learnt a couple of things! I definitely didn’t get taught all of that when studying for my GCSE’s.”

“Oh, trust me,” Anne folded her arms with a smirk. “There is _a lot_ that your history teacher never told you!”

Luke shrugged. “Well, I mean, I knew Henry was a bit of a prick but…jeez. He really was a complete bastard to his wives, huh?”

_You got that right, Anne thought. Try being beheaded. And being friends with the other five wives he victimised._

“Care for a drink?” Luke offered.

Anne cast a glance behind her. Cathy was engrossed in signing for a group of excited teenage girls, Anna was posing for photos and the others had yet to emerge from the dressing room. She smiled back at Luke.

What did she have to lose?

* * *

“So, what’s it like playing the great Anne Boleyn?”

Luke took a sip of his beer, his eyes locked on hers with interest.

“She’s good fun to play each night. My number is quite light-hearted and funny and it’s good hearing the audience react to it. I like making everyone laugh.”

“And you even share a name! How cool is that?”

Anne thought fast. “Well, actually, my real name is Annie but most of the time people just call me Anne out of habit or as a joke because of the show y’know?”

It frightened her how easy the lie just slipped out of her mouth.

“To be honest, because we all live together we have ended up just calling ourselves by our Queen names. It’s pretty funny.”

Luke laughed, his eyes shining bright with happiness. He was soaking everything up, taking her every word as gospel. And why would he question it? Besides, it was easier to lie. There was no way she was going to admit that she really was a Tudor Queen from the 16th century who had been ruthlessly beheaded by her much-hated ex-husband and had been reincarnated into the 21st century, re-telling her actual story for a day job.

That would totally freak him out.

“So, enough about me. What about you? What do you do?” Anne steered the conversation away from her, leaning in at the table as she took another sip of her drink. She was feeling strangely relaxed given she hadn’t had any interactions with boys properly since…well, the 16th century. He had a way of making her feel at ease.

He shrugged. “I busk most days…do a gig here and there. I just love music and have been trying to get into the industry for a while. I also help my dad out at his garage for extra cash.”

“Where do you usually busk?”

He shrugged. “I change it up, but lately it has been Covent Garden or one of the Underground stations.”

Anne was trying to think if she’d seen him before, but usually when she was passing through the Apple Market at Covent Garden she was rushing to get to the Arts Theatre.

“That’s really cool. What do you play? Guitar?’

“Yeah, acoustic,” Luke nodded. “My uncle taught me how to play.”

Anne guiltily took a subtle glance at her phone in her lap. She sighed. “I should really be heading home…”

“Of course,” Luke stood up, downing the rest of his beer and grabbing his jacket. “Let me get you a cab.”

She was so reluctant to leave. She felt like she could sit with Luke for hours, just talking. She wanted to spend more time with him, really get to know him. But at the same time, she knew Jane would start to worry. She had text to let the others know that she’d bumped into an old friend at stage door and was heading for a quick drink (yet another lie) but she knew that wouldn’t stop Jane from fretting as it got later.

Outside, as Luke hailed a cab, Anne bit her lip. “Luke?”

“Mhmm?”

“Thank you for coming to see the show tonight. It was a lovely surprise…” She hesitated, nervous about what she was away to say next. “Can…can I see you again?”

Luke’s eyes lit up. “Of course! Here, I’ll give you my number.”

He punched his number into her phone, before handing it back. “Just drop me a text when you’re free.”

Anne nodded shyly, allowing him to open the cab door for her.

“You’re a really good singer, by the way,” he said, hanging onto the door.

He gave a wink as the cab pulled away and Anne sunk into the seat. Her heart was bursting with excitement.

She'd never felt like this before.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne tries to keep her meeting with Luke a secret from the other Queens and confides in Kitty.

As Anne arrived home, she tried to sneak upstairs to the refuge of Kitty’s bedroom, hoping to avoid being pulled into conversation by the other Queens.

“Anne! Is that you, love?”

She stalled on the first step and rolled her eyes. Damn it, Jane! With a sigh of resignation, she reluctantly pushed open the door to the lounge where Catherine, Anna and Jane were watching TV.

“Have a nice night?” Jane smiled. It was clear she wasn’t suspicious, simply asking out of politeness.

After leaving the theatre to walk to a nearby bar Luke had suggested, Anne had hastily text in the group chat to say that she’d unexpectedly bumped into an old friend at stage door and was just going for a quick drink. She had hoped it would be enough to dispel any doubts.

“Yeah, it was good…thanks.”

Catherine raised an eyebrow, giving a knowing smirk as Anne stood there awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with being put on the spot.

“You met up with that boy from the bar, didn’t you?”

Anne faltered. How did she know? “Uh, no. What makes you think that?”

“Anne Boleyn, don’t you dare try to lie!” Anna cried beside Catherine, leaping up from the sofa and grabbing Anne by the waist and pulling her into a playful headlock. “You think we didn’t see you eyeing him up that night?”

Realising Anna wasn’t going to stop tormenting her until she admitted it, Anne sighed, holding her hands up in surrender. “Alright, fine! I went for a drink with him, okay? What’s the big deal?”

There was silence for a second, before Anne released her, falling back onto the sofa howling with laughter. “ANNE’S GOT A BOYFRIEND!”

Catherine grimaced at Anna’s loudness, Jane raising an eyebrow with amusement, stifling a laugh.

Suddenly, Kitty burst into the room, a towel wrapped around her head, already dressed in her pyjamas.

“Annie? You’ve got a boyfriend?”

Anne groaned, burying her face in her hands as she sunk into the sofa beside Jane. Now she remembered why she didn’t admit these kind of things in front of Anna. She’d probably broadcast it to the whole street by now. Jane gave her a comforting pat on the back.

“It’s alright, Anne,” she reassured. “We’re just teasing you. You don’t have to tell us about your night.”

Anna looked across at Jane as if she had two heads. “Uh, yes she does!” she exclaimed. “We need to know all the details. Come on, Anne, tell us all about your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Anne declared, lifting her head up for a second to make it perfectly clear.

Catherine rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath as she rose from the sofa, unamused and unable to tolerate Anna’s loud and intense personality any longer, particularly at this time of night. She deeply regretted saying anything: she should have known Anna would explode, determined to interrogate.

“Right,” she announced, walking to the door. “Well, I’ll leave you all to it.” She turned to give Jane a sympathetic look, as if to wish her good luck, before giving her a small smile. “Good night.”

Kitty silently plopped herself down in Catherine’s place, looking a little dumbfounded. Anna was all psyched and ready for the gossip, shifting to the middle of the sofa, hunched forward in anticipation.

“Well…come on then! What’s lover boy’s name?”

Jane shook her head, throwing a cushion playfully at her. “Stop tormenting her, Anna!”  
  


Anne said a little prayer for having Jane. She could always rely on Jane to defend her from Anna’s nosiness. The girl just didn’t know any boundaries or have any censors.

“Oh, come on! I’m just making conversation!” Anna scoffed, folding her arms.

“No, you’re winding her up! Now, stop it!” Jane chastised gently. “If Anne doesn’t want to share with us, she doesn’t have to.”

Trust Jane to be the civil one, trying to keep the peace. And just as well, as with Anna anything could easily blow up into WWIII. She just enjoyed causing mischief.

Kitty took the opportunity to grab Anne’s wrist, urging her to follow so she could lead her to the safety of her bedroom. Anne didn’t need to be told and was thankful for the escape route.

As the girls made their exit, Anna looked like a lion ready to pounce on its prey. Jane narrowed her eyes in warning; a mother close by to protect her young. Taking the hint, Anna gave her a glare, and, with a huff, flopped back on the sofa.

Defeated.

* * *

Later that night, once Anna and Jane had retired to bed, Anne snuck into Kitty’s room, slipping under the covers and snuggling close to her cousin. They lay in complete silence for a moment before Anne spoke.

“I really like him, Kitty. I like him a lot,” she admitted. She turned her head to face her. “Is that weird to say when I’ve only really spoken to him properly once?”

“No, not at all!”

“There’s just…something about him, y’know? He’s just so chilled out. He doesn’t have an agenda like some guys do. He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know me. I just felt like I could talk to him for hours…”

She was prattling on dreamily, she knew, but she couldn’t help herself. She needed to pour out her feelings to someone, and Kitty was the only person she really trusted when it came down to this.

“What’s his name?” Kitty asked, tilting her head out of curiosity.

“Luke. He busks in Covent Garden with his guitar, would you believe! He even gave me his number, Kit!”

Kitty gave a weak smile in the darkness. It had been a long time since she had seen Anne get so animated and excited about something. She had never realty shown a particular interest in the opposite sex – she’d always assumed it was simply a trust issue given what Henry had done to her, which was completely understandable. To go from being loved and indulged to abruptly being tried for high treason and subsequently beheaded as a result, all because your then husband got bored of you because you couldn’t bear him a son and he’d gone and found a new girl to court, was surely damaging. It would be enough to scar most women from ever approaching a man ever again.

“He did seem really nice at the bar…” Kitty offered, trying her best to sound happy for her, because she really was. Anne deserved all the happiness in the world. But she couldn’t help admit she also had her doubts and Anne could sense her lack of enthusiasm.

“Do you think I’m being stupid?”

“What? No!” Kitty leapt up, horrified. “Of course not, Annie! I’m happy for you, I really am. It’s just…isn’t it a bit, well…fast?”

Anne gave a chuckle, confused. “Fast? We haven’t even done anything! All we did was talk over drinks. I asked him if I could see him again and he said yes.”

Kitty bit her lip as she lowered her head, unconvinced.

Anne squeezed her cousin’s hand. “Kitty, we haven’t even kissed! We’re not even what you would call dating! I’m just having a bit of fun, that’s all.”

Kitty simply shrugged her shoulders, going quiet. Anne’s smile fell.

“What’s wrong?”

Kitty curled up, knees up to her chest. What she said next was a mere mumble. “I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”

That was part of the reason. The truth was, Kitty’s heart had sunk a little when she’d heard Anna’s declaration of Anne’s apparent relationship status from upstairs. Sitting now listening to her talk so excitedly about this boy, who was she quick to reassure was not her boyfriend (yet), she was starting to worry that Anne would find him much more fun to hang around with and lose interest in her. As the thought crossed her mind, Kitty shook her head and scolded herself. No, that wouldn’t happen. Anne was her cousin: they would always be close, no matter what. She was just being childish. A brat.

Anne wrapped her arms around her. “Aww, Kit.”

Now, all Kitty felt was guilt. Guilt that she even felt that way about Anne, when all she had ever done was love her and make her feel safe. She could always depend on her to be there whenever she needed, so why would she suddenly abandon her for some guy she’d just met? “I’m sorry,” she apologised, allowing herself to fall into the comfort of Anne’s hug.

Anne held her close. She understood Kitty’s insecurities.

“Hey,” Anne lifted her head, giving Kitty’s hand another squeeze with a smile. “Nothing will ever come between us. Beheaded cousins, right?”

That made Kitty laugh as she nodded in agreement. It was a relief to hear it from Anne.

As they both slipped back under the covers to fall asleep, Anne whispered gently in her ear.

“I love you, Kit. I’ll always be here for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist putting in some beheaded cousin cuteness in there! :P 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has been reading so far and for your comments and kudos. It is always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne arranges a meet up with Luke...with unexpected results.

Anne stared blankly at her phone in her hand.

What did she say?

She’d been debating over the past couple of days what to text Luke, but everything she’d thought of sounded weird. She didn’t want to come across as desperate, but she also wanted to sound enthusiastic. Trouble was, text message tone was very hard to decipher.

Anne made another attempt to compose a message, before shaking her head and erasing it.

Suddenly, she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder that made her flinch.

“You’re overthinking it.”

Anne looked up from the screen. “Mhm? What?"

“Your text. You’re overthinking it. Just keep it simple,” Cathy winked as she slipped out of the dressing room.

Anne took a deep breath. Cathy was right. She was over-analysing every word, worrying how Luke would read it. She just needed to keep it natural: short and sweet. She began to write again.

_Hey. Just wondered if you were free this weekend?_

Did she put a kiss at the end or was that just weird? Anne sighed. Since when did text etiquette become so complicated…

Before she could scrutinise and further criticise, she pressed “Send” and breathed a sigh of relief. No going back now.

The show served as a great distraction. Otherwise, she knew she’d have been waiting on tenterhooks, staring intently at her phone until a text notification appeared.

By the time she had returned to the dressing room, Luke had replied. Anne hesitated before opening the message.

_I can be. ;) Do I get to know who I’m meeting up with or is it a surprise?_

Anne panicked for a second, before realising that they hadn’t exchanged numbers: he had only given his number so he didn’t know hers. And was that wink emoji flirting?

_Sorry, Luke, I forgot you didn’t have my number! It’s Anne. Still want to meet or have I ruined my chances? :P x_

Screw it, she was going to put a kiss. It was cute.

_I guessed. :P Would love to see you! Want to grab some food then go to the cinema? X_

The cinema? Didn’t people do that for like, a first date? Did this mean Luke was suggesting they go on a date? Or did he just mean as friends? Either way, her heart skipped a beat.

“You look stressed, Anne. What’s bothering you?”

Anne sighed, leaning back in her chair in despair. ‘Why do things have to be so complicated?”

Cathy removed her spiked hairpiece, wincing as it snagged in her black curls. “Because love is complicated.”

Anne narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Who said anything about love?”

Cathy flashed her a “come on” look, to which Anne groaned. Cathy shook her head. Gosh, she could be such a drama queen! “What did he say?” she asked, proceeding to fixing her hair in the mirror.

“He said yes…he suggested we got out for dinner then onto the cinema.”

“That sounds nice! So, what’s the problem?”

“I can’t tell if he’s asking me on a date or if this is a ‘just friends’ scenario…”

Just then, Anna barged in. “What’s that about ‘just friends’? Has your boyfriend dumped you already?”

Anne’s face soured and she turned her attention of removing her make-up in the mirror, completely disengaging from the conversation. Anna leaned against the door, rolling her eyes. Sensing the tension in the air, Cathy cast her a warning look. She didn’t know what was going on between the pair, but it seemed like Anna was taking any opportunity to harass Anne about Luke and it was starting to irritate her. Anne had lost a lot of confidence and if Luke could give her some of it back, surely it could only be a good thing? And, at some point or another, she was going to want to experiment with dating; she was young after all. Why Anna wanted to tear her down for it, Cathy didn’t know, but if it went much further she’d be sure to intervene. The poor girl would be nervous enough without Anna’s mocking remarks.

She watched on, despondent, as Anne silently packed her bag and left the room without another word.

* * *

“Does this look okay?”

Anne stood in front of the mirror in Kitty’s bedroom with a critical eye. She had decided to wear an emerald velvet dress – her signature colour – paired with black ankle boots. It was simple, yet dressy enough for if this really was a date. Kitty gasped, excitedly patting the bed, gesturing Anne to sit whilst she brushed her hair.

“You look beautiful, Annie!”

She carefully tied back a section of Anne’s long hair with a green ribbon, leaving the rest to flow down her back. She gave Anne’s shoulders a squeeze.

“Just be yourself! You’ll be fine!”

Anne fidgeted with the ring on her finger. “Do you think he really likes me?” she mumbled. Although she was also excited, self-doubt was starting to creep in. She so wanted Luke to like her and she wanted to spend time with him, but what if those feelings weren’t reciprocated? What if Luke met up with her tonight and realised that she wasn’t his type? That he’d passed judgement too soon?

“Of course he likes you! He wouldn’t have asked you out if he didn’t, silly! Now, go and have some fun!” urged Kitty.

Anne turned to give her cousin a hug. “Thanks, Kit.”

As Anne made her way downstairs for the taxi, she caught Jane on her way up. “You’re looking lovely, Anne,” she smiled. “Good luck with the date.” She gave a little wink.

* * *

Anne stood outside the restaurant they’d agreed to meet at, staring around, frantically looking for Luke. She was five minutes early, but she was already convincing herself that he wasn’t going to show. When her eyes finally caught sight of him in the crowd though, she couldn’t help but break out into a smile. He had dressed smartly in a black shirt and white trousers, his hair neatly brushed.

“You’re looking lovely,” he grinned, glancing down at her dress. “Green really suits you.”

Anne blushed. “You’re looking rather dapper yourself!”

Luke opened the door to the restaurant for her. As a friendly waiter guided them to a table by the window and took their drinks order, Anne took the opportunity to take a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.

She brushed a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. “So, how’s your week been?” She decided she couldn’t bear to sit in awkward silence, so she braved it and took the plunge.

“Yeah, pretty good,” Luke took a sip of his white wine. “I managed to get booked in for a gig for a couple of weeks’ time. You’re welcome to come along.”

Anne’s gasped. “Really? Luke, that’s great!” she smiled with enthusiasm, genuinely pleased for him. “Where is it?”

“The Troubadour, Earls Court. it's a quirky 50s pub.”

As their starters arrived, they started to ease more into conversation. Soon, they were laughing over their meal; Luke telling her a funny story from one of his recent days busking, Anne sharing a little mishap from the show. As she recovered from laughing, Anne realised that she was no longer nervous. It just felt like she was out for a meal with a close friend, like she’d known Luke for ages.

Luke gave her a cheeky grin, raising an eyebrow: she must have been staring.

“Sorry!” she giggled.

Luke sat back, shaking his head playfully. She was just so charming, so authentic. She wasn’t one of those girls that tried too hard to impress or pretended to be something she wasn’t. Anne was just being herself, and she okay with that. It was something Luke admired. And her laugh – she had the most bubbly, contagious laugh.

As they walked the short distance through the throng of crowds to Trafalgar Square to the cinema, Anne couldn’t disguise how happy she was. She was light on her feet, almost skipping. She allowed herself to get too distracted, however, and almost walked out in front of a bus, before Luke grabbed her hand and pulled her back.

Taken aback, she looked down at their hands: his threaded in hers. “Thank you,” she breathed, giving a shy smile.

“Don’t want our first date ending with my girl getting squashed by a bus now, do we?” Luke laughed.

Anne just about squealed.

_First date_. _My_ girl.

Suddenly, pure happiness just washed over her and she couldn’t resist.

Anne leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you found this as cute as I did writing it. :3 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Let me know your thoughts in the comments!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anne excitedly tells all about her date and the Queens realise there might be more to Anna's comments than meets the eye.

When Anne arrived home from her date - because yes, she could officially call it that! – she couldn’t stop smiling. Was this really what true love felt like? Was this what it felt like finding someone who actually loved you for who you were and not for what you could bring to the table? It was late, and the house was dark, apart from the sliver of light from the kitchen. Cathy was there, making what was probably her first cup of tea of the evening before she started writing.

“I think that smile says everything about how tonight went,” she grinned, taking a sip of her tea.

Anne gave a low squeal, trying to keep her voice quiet so as not to disturb the rest of the house, despite her excitement. “It was amazing!”

Cathy popped the kettle on again for Anne and eagerly gestured for Anne to take a seat at the table and, for the next half an hour, she listened intently as Anne shared the details of her first date. Anne was clearly on cloud nine and Cathy was happy for her. She deserved to be happy, after all she had experienced in her past with Henry. She was also proud of Anne: given those darker days she could appreciate it takes a lot of courage to delve into a relationship again. But Anne had taken the leap and it seemed to have been a success.

“I’m so pleased for you, Anne! He sounds like a really nice guy.”

Anne blushed. “He is really nice. I can’t wait to go to his gig and see him perform.”

Anne glanced at the clock. It was way past midnight.

Cathy gave a smirk. “Don’t leave it too late for filling in Kitty with all the gossip.”

At that, Anne bid the writer goodnight and tiptoed upstairs and slipped into her pyjamas, before creeping into Kitty’s bedroom. Her younger cousin was asleep, but as Anne snuck in under the covers, she gave a sleepy mumble.

“How did it go?”

She gave a yawn, rolling over so she was facing her cousin. The huge smile on Anne’s face said it all and she gave a giggle. Anne clutched her arm.

‘Oh, Kit, it was amazing! We just talked over dinner – he has invited me to his gig in a few weeks! Then, we were walking to the cinema and he said I was his girlfriend, that it had been a date!”

Anne stopped and blushed.

“What?” Kitty raised an eyebrow.

“I might have kissed him…”

Kitty jumped up in bed. “What?” she cried in disbelieve, her eyes wide.

“Shhh! It was just a little one, on the cheek!”

Kitty giggled again, falling back down on the bed. “What was it like?” she whispered.

“Magical,” Anne breathed. “Just…magical.”

* * *

“How was your night with Prince Charming then?”

Anna strutted into the kitchen for breakfast, last as usual. There was just a small hint of condescendence in her voice, enough to make Anne scowl, firmly digging her spoon into her cereal with more force than necessary. Yet, Anne didn’t give her the benefit of a response. At that, Anna raised an eyebrow in bemusement and gave a roll of her eyes, proceeding to flick on the kettle.

But Anne couldn’t resist. “If you really have to know, it went really well,” she commented snarkily, before adding under her breath “Not like you care.”

Opposite her at the table, Jane flashed her a look of caution. Anne gave a loud huff in response, her shoulders sinking, deflated.

“Sorry I asked,” Anna retorted, pouring her cup of coffee.

Seeing Anne tense as Anna decided to add fuel to the fire, it was Cathy’s turn to speak up. She leaned on the back of her chair so she could face Anna.

“Can you just drop it, please? It’s too early in the morning to be quibbling like this.”

“Calm down, Cathy. No need to get on the defence. I was only asking,” Anna insisted, suddenly feeling ganged up on, and already edging towards the door.

Taking her cue to leave, Anna gave a low grumble, grabbed her mug and silently left the room, retreating back to her bedroom.

The kitchen fell back into peace and quiet once more, the only noise from Catherine as she casually flicked through her magazine. Finally, Anne sighed.

“What is her problem?” she demanded, propping her chin up with her hand.

Jane shook her head. “just because you feel she is being nippy with you, it doesn’t mean you need to bite back. That just spurs her on even more!”

“But I don’t understand!” Anna cried, exasperated. “Does she just not want me to be happy?”

Not looking up from her magazine, Catherine spoke up: “Have you ever thought maybe she’s…jealous?”

The suggestion made everyone stop and look at the Spanish Queen. Noticing she now had an audience, she lifted her brown eyes from the page. “Just a thought,” she simply shrugged matter-of-factly, taking a sip of her tea.

“Jealous?” Anne scoffed. “Of what exactly?”

Catherine merely shook her head, dismissively. She knew Anne was now too frustrated to try and reason with, or discuss the matter with rationally. She was past the point of patience where she could try and comprehend why Anna was perhaps a bit bitter with the whole subject. With no further input from Catherine – she knew better than to take this discussion further when Anne was so irritable – Anne finished her cereal, dumped the bowl into the sink and stomped off, Kitty trailing behind her.

With the younger two now out of earshot, Cathy and Jane took the opportunity to delve further into Catherine’s musing.

“Do you really think Anna’s jealous?” Cathy leaned in, folding her arms.

Catherine laid down her magazine. “I don’t know for sure, of course, but it would explain why she’s constantly putting Anne down. Think about it: she was ridiculed and degraded for her looks, humiliated in court, and her marriage swiftly annulled by Henry, who could barely look at her. She was made to feel inferior, made to feel ugly. Anna was never really shown any love. Now, there’s Anne constantly flouncing around professing her love for this guy…”

Jane leant back in her chair. “I’d never really thought about it like that.”

Cathy sighed. “Thing is, there’s no point trying to talk to her about it. You know what Anna is like: she’ll just brush it under the carpet.”

Catherine nodded in agreeance. Anna had never been one to divulge her feelings to anyone: that brick wall had been put up years ago, thanks to Henry.

Jane hummed, contemplating Catherine’s theory. Perhaps, she had a point, maybe this was just Anna’s way of venting because she was feeling insecure and had no other outlet. As Cathy had rightly said, she was not one for confessions, for offloading her thoughts and feelings onto others. With her loud and lively personality, it was easy to forget that Anna was also the most private and reclusive of the Queens, particularly when it came down to their emotions. It was easy to recognise when Anne or Kitty were upset, but Anna was good at hiding behind a smile and a laugh: a protective façade. Unlike the rest of them, Anna had never really openly discussed her past experience with Henry, nor had they ever pushed her to. But now, dwelling on the subject, Jane felt an ache of sadness. Did she suffer from nightmares but simply never sought out comfort? Had Anna convinced herself that she simply had to face her burdens alone?

“What do we do?” Cathy asked, looking at Catherine hopefully.

But for this, Catherine did not have an answer. “I’m not sure. I guess we can only hope that she finally comes to some realisation that she’s hurting Anne.”

Cathy bit her lip. She wasn’t convinced that that would be likely.

* * *

Meanwhile, alone in her bedroom, Anne was still irritated by Anna’s berating behaviour towards her. What was her problem? Why did she feel like she had to make her feel so rubbish all the time? The comments, small as they were, were starting to grate on her.

Anne looked at herself in the mirror.

“Who cares what she thinks? It’s my life, not hers. Let the bitch be jealous for all I care.”

At that, Anne defiantly grabbed her rucksack, phone in hand, and darted out of her bedroom. She went straight past Kitty’s room, not even pausing to say goodbye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I thought I would go down the route of delving deeper into Anna's story a little, because she definitely doesn't get as much love as the other Queens and I feel she has just as much of a story to tell. Let me know what you all think and what you think is going to happen next! 
> 
> Thank you for reading and for your kudos and comments - feedback is always appreciated! :3

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is me experimenting with something a little bit different: I'm taking Anne the wild child and taking her for a ride. We'll see how this ends up! 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read. Kudos and comments are always appreciated. :3


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